Electron tube socket assembly



s. s. SIMOVITS 'E 3,543,098

ELECTRON TUBE SOCKET ASSEMBLY Nov. '24, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1969 INVENTORS Ste plan Sf, a 07%, 1:

CAT/i2 J Our-1i; P. Ma. weZC NOV. 24, 1970 s s s ov s ET AL 3,543,098

' I ELECTRON TUBE SOCKET ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 23, 1969 3 Sheets-Sheet P l V site en .5- SI'MaV Yf5 YIC CL-rILrI J- Dame; Free] F M-lnctti Nov. 24,1970 SMOVITS ET AL 3,543,098

ELECTRON TUBE SOCKET ASSEMBLY Filed Jan. 23, 1969' v E 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS Fr: R Ma. neaf BY @A-rL-kfe f ATT Y.

United States Patent US. Cl. 317101 12 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An electron tube socket assembly having resistors incorporated therein in close proximity to the lead terminals. The socket includes an arc protective arrangement including a conductor ring having fingers located adjacent selected lead terminals to form an arc therebetween and thereby to prevent arcing between the lead terminals. The socket is constructed to maintain a predetermined air dielectric gap between the lead terminal and associated finger and thereby effect control of the arc gap within close tolerances.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to improvements in electron tube sockets including protective devices and more particularly, but not necessarily, to sockets of the type adapted for use with television picture tubes.

The socket of the present invention is of the general type disclosed and claimed in US. Pat. Nos. 3,251,016 and 3,377,616, and US. patent application Ser. No. 772,287 each assigned to assignee of the present invention.

Operating conditions within a television picture tube cause occasional arcing across high voltage components within the tube. Moreover, picture tubes of the type having narrow neck portions are constructed with the terminal pins in closely circumferentially spaced relationship such that arcing frequently occurs between the terminals.

The high voltage resulting from the arcing Within the tube or across the terminals is then conducted through the tube pins, socket terminals and lead wires to other components in the television set. This tends to cause at least a malfunctioning of the components and under some circumstances damage which immediately breaks down or shortens the useful operating life of the components.

Heretofore it has been common practice to provide protection against such arcing by utilizing resistors, condensers and external types of spark arrestors. More recently, as described and claimed in the aforementioned patents and patent application of the assignee of the present invention, the arcing has been controlled by the provision of a spark arrester arrangement incorporated in the tube socket itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION By the present invention there is provided an electron tube socket which is constructed and arranged to limit surge currents that result from over-voltage or arcing from the picture tube or over-voltage and arcing resulting from the chassis circuits by providing a controlled arcing through an air dielectric.

More specifically the present invention provides an improved electron tube socket including an are over or electric conductor ring having fingers projecting therefrom which are positioned in close proximity to the socket terminals. The socket is constructed such that the fingers and socket terminals are consistently maintained at a desired spacing to provide a controlled arc gap. The arc- 3,543,098 Patented Nov. 24, 1970 over ring functions somewhat like an arrestor to absorb the high voltage energy through the arcing at the arc gap and conveys the discharge to ground or other control for absorption.

The socket also includes a provision for supporting resistors connected in the leads adjacent the socket terminals to further improve the operating characteristics of the television set.

The present invention further discloses an improved housing structure which is constructed and arranged to facilitate the assembly and repair of the socket.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an enlarged top plan view of a tube socket embodying the structure of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cover section of the tube socket.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the tube socket with the cover removed.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken in the direction of the arrows along the line 44 in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 5-5 of FIG. 3 showing the cover positioned over the body and the latching arrangement for retaining the cover on the body.

FIG. 6 is a cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 66 of FIG. 4 and showing the manner in which the socket terminal and are ring finger are maintained in a fixed spaced relationship by the socket body structure.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary elevational view of the socket and showing in particular one of the latching means for retaining the cover on the body.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of another form of a tube socket assembly embodying the structure of the present invention with the cover broken away to show underlying details of the body structure.

'FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 9-9 of FIG. 8 and showing the cover positioned on the body.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a contact terminal lead which is received in the terminal sockets.

FIG. 11 is a cross sectional view taken generally along the lines 11-11 of FIG. 7 and showing the latch arrangement for retaining the cover on the socket body.

FIG. 12 is fragmental top plan view of the body socket assembly at the latch arrangement.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view taken generally along the lines 13-43 of FIG. 9.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings, in particular FIGS. l-3 there is shown an electron tube socket 10 particularly adapted for use with a television picture tube T. The socket 10 comprises generally a cylindrical body section 11 and a cover or cap section 12 seatable over the body section 11 to enclose the same. The body section 11 and cover 12 may be made from any thermo-setting or thermo-plastic material such as, for example, polyethylene or other material capable of withstanding carbonization or tracking during arcing activity and having the requisite shape retaining characteristics and dielectric properties such as ceramic, Bakelite etc.

As shown in FIG. 3 the body section 11 includes an axial hub which defines a tube pin terminal receiving or socket portion 13. Concentrically disposed about the socket portion 13 and radially spaced therefrom is an annular skirt 14 which extends from a cylindrical upper body portion 16.

The socket portion 13 includes a plurality of tube pin receiving openings 17 and a central aperture 18 which receives the base of an associated television picture tube (not shown). The aperture 18 is formed with a keying slot 19 to insure proper alignment of the tube and socket. The side wall or skirt 14 is formed with a plurality of angularly spaced vertical slots 19 to accommodate the circuit leads 21 which pass into the interior of the socket. As shown in FIG. 3 the slots 19 terminate at a horizontal ledge 20. It is to be understood that the slots 19 may extend through the ledge 20 so that the circuit leads 21 pass through the bottom of the socket rather than from the side as shown. The number of terminal leads 21, of which only one is shown for clarity in illustrating the invention, will be dependent on the tube requirements.

The upper body portion 16 includes a plurality of upstanding studs 22. A substantial U-shaped flange 23 having legs 23A and 23B also project from the upper body portion 16.

The cover 12 is generally cup shaped having a circular top 24 and a downwardly depending skirt 26 of which the free edge rests on the ledge 20. A plurality of stud receiving openings 25 are formed therein to accommodate the passage of the body studs 22 and a V-shaped slot 26 accommodates the upstanding V-shaped flange 23. The studs 22 and V-shaped flange 23 assure the proper alignment of the cover 12 on the socket body 11. The legs 23A and 23B also provide a high voltage barrier between the high voltage focus lead 21H and the remaining leads 21. An opening 28 is formed in one of the legs of the V-shaped slot 26 to permit venting of the interior of the socket 10 of the hot gases caused during arcing. For a more detailed description of the venting, reference is made to the aforementioned patent application.

The central portion of the cover top 24 is formed with a hub 29 which rests on the upper surface of the socket receiving portion 13 of the body 11. The hub 29 is also formed with an opening 18A and key slot 19A which align with the opening 18 and key slot 19 in the body 11.

For detachably fastening the cover 12 on the body 11, the cover 12 is provided with a plurality of latching straps or legs 31 as shown in particular in FIG. 5. The legs 31 are formed integral with the cover skirt 26 and defined by angular spaced slots 32 which terminate at the upper end thereof below the top 24 so that the legs 31 are yieldable out of the plane of the skirt 26. At the lower or free end the legs 31 are formed with an inwardly projecting lid 33.

.The lid 33 is engageable beneath a ledge 34 of a notch 36 formed in the ledge 20 and extending into the underside of the body skirt 14. To facilitate the placement and removal of the cover 12 on the body 11 the side wall 14 is formed with tapering grooves which serve to flex the legs 31 and thereby the lips 33 outwardly before and after engagement with the latching ledge 34.

The socket portion 13 and the pin receiving holes 17 are arranged circumferentially about the axis of the socket 10 to receive the corresponding number of contact pin terminals on the tube base. The number of terminal pins inserted into the holes 17 depends upon the electronic characteristics of the tube on which the socket is to be mounted.

. The conductive terminal contacts 37 of which one is shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5 are positioned in one of an associated pin receiving holes 17. The terminal contacts 37 each include an upper pair of crimping bands 38-38, laterally extending arms 3939 of generally L shaped configuration, and depending below the arms 3939 a generally cylindrical pin receiving receptacle 41 in which terminal pin of the tube is inserted.

. In accordance with the present invention the pin receiving holes 17 are formed to accommodate the foregoing structure of the terminal contact 37 so as to provide for are gap control to be more fully described hereinafter. As shown, the pin receiving holes 17 include a cylindrical chamber 42 which communicates wi h a fru toconical opening 43 through which the tube pins enter the holes 17. Extending across the cylindrical chamber 42 at the upper portion thereof in somewhat chordal relationship thereto is a rectangular slot 45 which serves to accommodate the L-shaped arms 39 therein and thereby to definitely locate the terminal contacts 37 with respect to a conductor ring 44.

The conductor ring 44 is seated on an annular ledge 46 formed on base of an annular groove 47. The conductor ring 44 includes a plurality of fingers 48 extending radially therefrom and are received in radial slots 49 which communicate with the socket openings 17. It is to be noted that the conductor ring snugly seats within the annular groove 47 so that the edge 51 of the fingers 48 which are manufactured to close tolerances are always located in precise spaced relationship to the terminal contact 37. Moreover, it is to be noted that edge 51 lies adjacent the L-shaped arms 39 of the contact terminals 37. As mentioned heretofore these arms are definitely located in the rectangular slot 45. Thus, the terminal body 37 and the edge 51 are always maintained at precisely the same spacing. This spacing constitutes a spark gap G which is considerably smaller than the spacing between the terminal contacts. Thus the spark gap G provides an air dielectric which limits the surge currents resulting from over-voltage or arcing occurring at the picture tube or chassis circuits.

In practice the conductor ring 44 may be connected to ground or to another element of the installation capable of high voltage absorption, such as by soldering a wire 21 into the opening 52. To prevent rotation of the ring within the annular groove 47, there is provided a plurality of angular spaced projections 53 which seat within complementary cut outs formed in the ring 44. The ring 44 also includes a tip 54 which provides an are over gap between it and the tube terminal contact connected to the high voltage focus lead 21H as shown in FIG. 2.

It should be mentioned that although a finger 48 is shown projecting into each of the terminal socket openings 17, in practice the ring 44 may be arranged to have less fingers as required. Thus, the arc-over gaps are formed only between selected wires and the associated fingers 48. Also it is to be noted that the body portions 50 between the slot 49 form a barrier preventing arcing between adjacent terminals.

A feature of the present invention is the provision of means for housing resistors 55 connected between the terminal contact, and the circuit leads 21 within the socket 11. As shown in FIG. 2 one lead 56 of the resistor 55 is crimped to the terminal contact 37 and the other end is crimped to a lead 21 as by a crimping sleeve 57. The resistor 55 is attached to the lead 21 and terminal contact 37 prior to inserting the terminal contact within the terminal opening 17. The lead 21 is placed in the groove 19 and is securely retained therein by the inner wall of cover skirt 26 which snuggly seats over the body 11. At the lower end the lead passes through an open ended slot 15 formed in the lower edge of the skirt which rests on the body ledge 20.

The resistor 55 is seated at one end in a groove 58 formed on the upper surface of the upper body portion. The resistor groove is wider than the lead receiving groove 19 so as to form shoulders against which the outer end of the resistor seats. The inner end of the resistor is substantially rigid resistor lead 56. As shown the resocket opening 17 and to which it is connected by the substantially rigid resistor lead 56. As shown with resistor 55 is disposed at an angle relative to the radial direction of the body, but it should be understood that the resistor may also be radially disposed if so desired. While in the embodiment shown the resistor is a distinct separate component, molded type resistors utilizing the dielectric socket material as a substrate may also be used.

Disposing the resistor 55 within the socket in close proximity to the terminal contact has many advantages which are not available when the resistor is located at a point exterior or remote therefrom. The assembly including the terminal contact 39 and the resistor 55 connected closely thereto forms in the nature of a parasitic filter which serves as a dampening device or suppressor for undesirable parasitic oscillations caused by components in the circuit. The resistor and terminal contact assembly also act as a terminal filter network for unwanted frequencies by localizing the interference at the assembly and filtering the latter before being transmitted further to cause undesirable effects.

It cannot be overlooked that the resistor contact terminal assembly also provides improved coupling of the energy from the printed board circuits of the television set to the picture tube assembly. In this connection it should also be noted that capacitive and inductive coupling of the lead 21 and the terminal 27 to the pins used in the picture tube is lowered. Thus the assembly provides a system for controlling unwanted inductance or capacitance in the circuitry that tend to cause deterioration of video information or loss in the video energy supplied to the picture tube.

The resistor terminal contact assembly also serves to limit the surge currents that result from over voltage or arcing occuring either at the picture tube or at the chassis circuit.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-13 there is shown another embodiment of a television tube socket 60 embodying the principles of the present invention and wherein like parts are identified alike. The socket 60 is substantially identical to the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 differing therefrom essentially in the manner in which the cap or cover 61 is detachably fastened to the socket body and also in respect of the manner in which the spark gap control is obtained.

As shown, the body 61 includes the socket portion 63, the body skirt 13 terminating in the outwardly extending lip 15 and the upper body portion 16.

The cover 62 includes the circular top 24 from which there depends the skirt 26 which snugly embraces the outer circumference of the body 61. The flexible legs 31 of the embodiment of FIGS. 1-7 are not incorporated into the skirt 26 so that the latter is continuous.

For detachably fastening the cover 62-61 to the body 61, the latter is provided with a plurality of upstanding studs 63 terminating at the upper end in a lip 64 as shown in FIGS. 7, 10 and 11. The studs 63 at the lower end are disposed within a recess 64 so that the latter may be rocked. The cover top 24 is formed with an elongate slot 65 which receives the stud 63 so that the lip 64 may engage a ledge 67 at the base of a recess 66 which accommodates the upper end or head 68 of the stud 63. The stud head 68 is formed with an inclined surface 69 which contacts the underside of the cover top 24 when the cover 62 is placed on the body 61 so that the stud is rocked clockwise as viewed in FIG. 9. T hereafter, as the stud returns to the original position shown so that the lip engages over the ledge 67 to hold the cover 62 latched to the body 61.

To remove the cover 62, it is only necessary to manually rock the stud 63 clockwise until the lip 64 clears the ledge 67. Thereafter the cover may be raised and re moved from the body.

Referring now to the improved arc control arrangement incorporated into the modified socket 60, the socket is constructed such that the sparking is achieved at a location more remote from the point at which the tube terminals enter the terminal sockets.

This is accomplished by modifying socket openings and the conductor ring heretofore described in connection with FIGS. 1-6. As shown in FIG. 9 the terminal contact 71 includes an upper pair of crimping arms 72 which are crimped about the leads 56 of the resistor 55. Spaced from the crimping arms 72 are a pair of laterally extending arms 73 and 74 of which the arm 73 is generally curved about the radius of a circle and the other arm 74 is slightly curved and extends tangentially to the curved portion. The lower end of the contact 67 is formed to provide a tube terminal receptacle 75.

As shown in FIGS. 7, 8 and 12 the terminal socket openings 76 are formed to accommodate the terminal contacts 71. To this end, the opening 76 is of a diameter to receive the terminal receptacle and curved arm therein as shown in FIG. 10. To accommodate the tangentially extending arm 74 there is provided a tangential slot 77. In this connection it should be noted that the arm 74 of the terminal contact is now radially spaced from the longitudinal axis of the tube terminal receptacle 75.

The conductorring 78 is made from an electrically conductive material and is seated on the base 46 of the annular groove 47 as described in connection with FIGS. 1-6. The ring 78 is connected to ground or other suitable deposit means by a ground lead 80. Extending from the ring 78 are a plurality of fingers 79 of which the inner edges 81 are spaced in parallel relationship to the respective ones of the tangentially extending contact arms 74 disposed in the socket opening 76.

The fingers 79 are accommodated within angularly spaced slots 82 formed in the body 61 and communicating with the ring groove 44. The upstanding portions 83 of the body between the slots 82 serve as barriers to prevent arcing between the terminal contacts.

From the foregoing it should be readily apparent that the spark gap G is achieved at a location generally spaced from the terminal socket 76 and the tube terminal socket portion disposed therein so that the high voltage surges are minimized at the tube terminals. This advantage of course results in improved set operation.

Moreover it is to be noted that the resistors 55 are also connected to the leads and supported in the socket 60 in the same manner as described in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. l6. Thus all of the advantages associated therewith are also present in the socket 60.

We claim:

1. An electron tube socket comprising a dielectric body portion, a plurality of angularly spaced terminal socket openings extending through said body, pin receiving contact terminal lead means disposed in associated ones of said terminal socket openings, an electrical conductor ring disposed in said body and having finger means projecting therefrom toward associated ones of said socket means for forming an arc gap with respective circuit leads, said terminal socket openings and said pin receiving contacts being formed with complementary means to locate a portion of said pin receiving contact terminal leads in a predretermined spaced relationship to said fingers dependent on the specific voltage to be dissipated between said ring and an associated contact terminal lead means thereby to prevent arcing between the contact terminal means.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said complementary means in said opening comprises a slot and said complementary means on said contact terminal means comprises arm means integral therewith and seated in said slot.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said slot means is substantially rectangular and said arm means is L-shaped complementary to said rectangular slot means.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said slot means extends tangentially from said socket means, and said arm means is seated in said slot so that a major length thereof is located away from the longitudinal axis of said pin receiving terminal contact means, and wherein said finger terminates in an edge parallel to said tangenti ally extending contact means.

5. An electron tube socket comprising a substantially cylindrical dielectric body portion, a plurality of angularly spaced terminal socket openings extending through said body, pin receiving contact terminal lead means disposed in associated ones of said terminal socket openings, an electrical conductor ring positioned in said socket between the ends thereof and in spaced relationship to said pin contact terminal lead means whereby arc gaps having close tolerances relative to the specific voltage to be dissipated may be formed between said ring and an associated contact terminal lead means, and resistors connected to associated ones of said terminal lead means and supported within said dielectric body portion.

6. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said resistors are disposed so that the longitudinal axis thereof extends from the center of said body to the outer circumferance thereof.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein said body includes means forming seats for associated ones of said resistors.

8. The invention as defined in claim 5 wherein said body is provided with a cover, said cover comprising a top and a depending skirt closely embracing the outer periphery of said substantially cylindrical body.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said body and said cover include means formed integral therewith for detachably fastening said cover to said body.

10. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said fastening means comprises a plurality of legs each being defined by pairs of slots extending lengthwise of said skirt, said legs terminating in lip means, and a ledge formed on said base with which said lip is engagea'ble to retain said cover on said base.

11. The invention as defined in claim 9 wherein said 30 fastening means comprise a stud projecting upwardly from said body and having a laterally projecting lip, and an opening formed in said cover top for accommodating said stud so that the lip overlies the marginal edge about said opening when said cover is seated on said body.

12. An electron tube socket comprising a substantially cylindrical dielectric body portion, a plurality of angularly spaced terminal socket openings extending through said body, pin receiving contact terminal .means disposed an associated ones of said terminal socket openings, an electrical conductor ring disposed in said socket in spaced relationship to said pin contact terminal leads means whereby are gaps having close tolerances relative to the specific voltage to be dissipated may be formed between said ring and an associated contact terminal lead means, a cover including a top and a depending skirt enclosing said body, and means formed integral with body and said cover for detachably fastening said cover to said body.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,872,657 2/1959 Peterson 3l710l XR 2,877,438 3/1959 Giufi'rida 3l710l XR 3,111,641 11/1963 Wilentchik.

3,315,206 4/1967 Dressel 338220 XR 3,414,806 12/1968 Carr 338220 XR ROBERT K. SCHA'EFER, Primary Examiner J. R. SCOTT, Assistant Examiner s. (:1. X.R. 313-51; 31s 41;339- 111 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION u Patent No- 3;543pug8 Dated Novemfier 24. 1970 Inventor(s) Stephen S 'slmovlts et a1 It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

C o1umn4, line 65, cancel "substantially rigid resistor lead 56. As shown the re-" and insert supported by th terminal contact 71 seated with the line 67 "with" should read the Column 8, line 6, "an" should read in Signed and sealed this 16th day of May 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents USCOMM-DC 6O 

